Variable-speed device.



PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

G. B. ROSSMAN.

VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

B. RO$SMAN.

VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE.

APPLI GATION FILED SEPT. 29. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

;.J X l 040 GRANT B. ROSSMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

- VARIABLE-SPEED DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application tiled September 29,1903. Serial No. 175,046.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GRANT B. ROSSMAN, residing at New York, in thecounty of New York and State of NewXork, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in V ariable-Speed Devices, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to variable-speed friction-gears. Its object, ingeneral, is to improve the efficiency and certainty of suchvariable-speed gears.

A specific object is ciency of the thereof by subjecting the contactingfrictional members to the influence of a magnetic to increase theeiiipull, thereby increasing the friction.

Further objects andadvantages will be in part obvious from the followingdescription and in part pointed out.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combinations ofelements, arrangement of parts, and means for the utilization ofprinciples, which will be hereinafter fully described, and the novelfeatures thereof pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved variable-specdgear. Fig. 2 is a section on line a; :12 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an endelevation looking from the left of Fig. 1, with certain parts shown insection. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic'views showing the direction ofthe lines of force developed by the construction illustrated.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings the invention proposesfour main elements of the variable-speed device-to wit, a drivingmember, a driven-member, an intermediate or idler member, and a magneticcircuit. The magnetic circuit is provided by an electromagnet having aU-shaped core 1, suitably supported from abed-plate 2, which may bemounted on standards 3 if desired, the coil 4 of the electromagnet beingsupplied with current from a battery 5, or in any other desired way.Mounted above and forming a continuation of the pole of the magnet is astandard 6, which provides a bearing for the spindle 7, carrying a disk8, which forms the driving member of the variable-speed device. Thisspindle and disk may be driven by power apdevice or the transmissionratio plied through a sheave 9 or in any other desired way. Mountedabove and forming a continuation of the other pole of the magnet is asubstantially U-shaped block, the lower cross member 11 of which restsupon the baseplate and the end of the core, while the upright members 1212 are provided with bearings for the ends of the cylinder which formsthe driven member of the variables eed device. This cylinder is providedwit 1 a section 13 of relatively large diameter, sections 14 14 adaptedto be journaled in the bearings in the parts 12, and terminates at oneend 1n a spindle 15, carrying a sheave 16, through which or in any otherdesired way power may be transmitted from the variable-speed device. Thethird or idler member of the variable-speed device is in the form of aball 17, which is mounted between the face of the disk and the enlargedsection of the cylinder, and may be traversed therealong while beingleft free to rotate through the movement of a sliding rod 18, mounted inguides 19, carried by a frame 20, secured to the top of the standards 6,such slide-rod carrying a cross head 21, the lower end of which isforked, as at 22 22, to encircle the ball 17, which is held therein, soas to be free for universal rotation, preferably by set-screws 23 23,passing through the legs 22- 22.

The operation of such a variable-speed device, which is illustrated onlyas an embodiment of one of various forms of such devices which might beused, is well understood. Either the cylinder or the disk may beconsidered the driving member, and power supplied thereto will betransmitted to the other through the intermediate ball, which may bemoved to and fro along the face of the disk to vary the effectiveradius, and when it passes across center to vary the direction, the diskand cylinder being so supported in bearings that the face of the disk isparallel to the axis of the cylinder. It will be seen that through themounting of the disk and cylinder upon the opposite poles of the magnetsaid disk and cylinder, which with the various connected parts are ofsome suitable magnetic material, are magnetized in opposite polarities,the magnetization of the part 13 of the cylinder through the mountingdescribed being such as to give such cylinder a consequent pole, asillustrated by the diagram of Fig. 5, showing the path of the lines offorce, such consequent pole causing the lines of force to emerge fromthe cylinder in the portion where their pull is desired. It will also benoted that durin the movement of the ball, which, magneticalyconsidered, is an armature or keeper extending between the; cylinder anddisk, such ball remains insubstantially an equipotential field andaccordingly meets with no magnetic resistance to such movement. Thus thepower which provides ressure essential to the drivin function 0 themachinein other words, t e magnetic ull upon the friction elements-isobtained without harmful resistance to the movement constitutin thespeed-varyin function, which harmfu resistance would e present if themovement of the ball were not in such an equipotential field. It shouldbe noted also that 1n this construction Iprovide for increase of thefriction at the surfaces of drivin contact without increasing thedetrimenta friction on the journals of the elements. This is illustratedin Fig. 4, wherein it is shown by the arrows representing the line offorce that the'pull upon the journals, both at the spindle 7 and at thejournals i4, is balanced in all directions. By this construction I amenabled. to locate the driving elements of the gear in a field of force,which will very materially increase the friction between such drivingelements and the effective transmission ratio thereof without causingany detrimental effect or friction upon the journals of said elementswhich would reduce the efficiency of the device, while the freedom fromresistance to the movement of the idler member, whereby speed variationis secured, gives great scope to the application of the invention.

Ibelieve the enunciation and ap lication of the principles set forthabove to lie broadly new, and as the result obtained-to wit, thetransmission of a substantial percentage of the power supplied, coupledwith great facility of speed variationis very important-and represents amarked advance over devices intended to accomplish the same result I amentitled to a broad interpretation of terms both of the specificationand claims and the full benefit of all equivalents and variations fall'-ing within the extreme scope of the invention. A constructionaccomplishin to an extent the same results through a ifferent mechanicalembodiment is disclosed in my pending applications, Serial Nos. 138,697and 138,698, both filed on January 12, 1903, but is not claimed therein.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a variable-speed device, a driven member, a driving memberprovided with a spherical surface, means whereby said driving-member maybe moved with relation to said driven member in a direction parallel tothe axis thereof and magnetic means for holding such members in contact.

with the ournal of said dis 2. In a variable-speed device, a drivin"member and a driven member, one of sai members being provided with acurved surface contacting with the other member, and means for rollingone of said members on the other in a substantially equipotential planeof a magnetic field.

3. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a member magnetized to aiven polarity, a member magnetized to t e opposite polarity, and amember acting as an armature for such members and movable with relationthereto.

4. In a variable-speed device, a driving member, a driven member, meansfor moving one of" said members to vary the speed transmitted, and meansfor maintaimng a substantially equipotential lane of a magnetic fieldwithin which sucli movement takes place.

5. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member, adriven member, and magnetic means for increasing the frictiontherebetween, said magnetic means exerting substantially equal andopposite forces upon the journals of said members.

6. In a variable-speed device, a member adapted to be driven at avariable speed, a cylinder driven thereby and in contact therewith, andmeans for setting up a consequent pole in such cylinder such that theremay be a magnetic force between said cylinder and driving member.

- 7. In a variable-speed device, a drivin disk, a ball movable acrossthe face of sai disk, a cylinder adapted to be driven by said ballsupported in a forked bearing, and an electroma net having one olecontacting IE and the other contacting with said-cylinder-bearing.

8. In a variable-speed device, a plurality of relatively movable membershaving an operative connection therebetween and positioned in a closedmagnetic circuit.

9. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a plurality of relativelymovable members having an operative connection therebetween andpositioned in a closed magnetic circuit, and means whereby said circuitmay be magnetized.

10. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a plurality ofrelatively movable members having an operative connection therebetweenand positioned in a closed metallic magnetic circuit, and means wherebysaid circuit maybe magnetized.

11. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a member magnetized to agiven polarity, a member magnetized to the opposite polarity and amember acting as an armature for such members and movable with relationthereto and adapted to transmit power from one to the other thereof.

12. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a member magnetized to agiven polarity, a member magnetized to the opposite polarity and amember acting as an armature for such members and laterally movable withrelation thereto and adapted to transmit power from one to the otherthereof.

13. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member and adriven member having an operative connection and posi tioned in a closedmetallic magnetic circuit.

14. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member, adriven member and a member adapted to make an operative mechanicalconnection between said members, said members being positioned in aclosed metallic magnetic circuit.

15. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a rotatable drivingmember, a rotatable driven member and a movable idler interposedtherebetween adapted to contact with said driving member at a variabledistance from its axis and simultaneously contact with said drivenmember a constant distance from its axis.

16. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a rotatable drivingmember, a rotatable driven member and a movable idler interposedtherebetween adapted to contact with said driving member at a variabledistance from its axis and simultaneously contact with said drivenmember a constant distance from its axis said parts being positioned ina closed metallic magnetic circuit.

17. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a rotatable drivinmember, a rotatable driven member, a member adapted to rest in contactwith said members and transmit power from one to the other thereof, anda core connecting the bearings of said first and second members saidparts forming a closed metallic magnetic circuit.

18. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member, adriven member the axis of which is at substantially right angles to thatof said driving member, a member adapted to make simultaneous connectionbetween portions of one of said members at variable distances from theaxis thereof and varying portions of the other of said members at aconstant distance from its axis, and magnetic means whereby the pressurebetween said members is increased.

19. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member, adriven member the axis of which is at substantially right angles to thatof said driving member, a member adapted to make simultaneous connectionbetween portions of one of said members at variable distances from theaxis thereof and portions of the other of said members at a constantdistance from its axis, and means connecting said driving and saiddriven members, said members and said means forming a closed metallicmagnetic circuit.

20. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member havinga disk the surface of which is substantially at right angles with theaxis thereof, a cylindrical driven member the axis of which is at anangle with that of said driving member, a spherical membcr resting incontact with said disk and said cylindrical member, means whereby saidspherical member maybe moved with respect to the axis of said drivingmember and simultaneously contact portions of said disk at variabledistances from the axis of said driving member and contact said drivenmembers at a substantially constant distance from the axis thereof, andmeans whereby said driving member, driven member and spherical memberare connected in a closed metallic magnetic circuit.

21. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member havinga disk the surface of which is substantially at right angles with theaxis thereof, a cylindrical driven member the axis of which is at anangle with that of said driving member, a spherical member resting incontact with said disk and said cylindrical member, means whereby saidspherical member maybe moved with respect to the axis of said drivingmember and simultaneously contact portions of said disk at variabledistances from the axis of said-driving member and a substantiallyconstant distance from the axis of said driven member, means wherebysaid driving member, driven member and spherical member are connected ina closed metallic magnetic circuit, and a coil whereby said circuit maybe magnetized the movement of said spherical member being in asubstantially equipotential plane of the field of said core.

22. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member, adriven member in operative relation thereto, and magnetic means adaptedto increase the forces with which said members contact, said drivingmember being adapted to rotate in two planes, rotation in one of whichwill drive said driven member and rotation in the other of which willvary the speed at which said last-mentioned member is driven.

23. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a shaft, a drivenmember, means adapted to transmit power from said shaft to said drivenmember, said means being adapted to roll into a position in which therelative angular velocities of said shaft and said driven member arechanged, and means adapted to develop a magnetic field passing throughsaid driven member and said first-mentioned means.

24. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a shaft, a drivenmember, means adapted to transmit power from said shaft to said drivenmember, said means being provided with a spherical surface engaging saiddriving member, and means adapted to develop a magnetic field assingthrough said driven member and said first-mentioned means.

25. In a variable-speed device, in combination, a driving member havinga spherical surface, a driven member adapted to coact therewith, meansadapted to develop a magnetic field passing through said driving anddriven members, and means adapted to roll said driving member in adirection. transverse to the magnetic flux passing therethrou h.

26. In a variable-speed device, in com ination, a rotary driving member,a cylindrical driven member, a spherical member inter posed between saiddriving and said driven.

members and adapted to transmit power from one to the other'thereof,means adapted to roll said spherical member toward and away from theaxis of rotation of said driving member, and means adapted to develop amagnetic field passing through said spherical member in a directiontransverse to that of said rolling movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

. GRANT B. ROSSMAN. Witnesses:

H. M. SEAMANS, J. B. KNoX'.

